Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) - leads the UN's global efforts to promote and protect all human rights for all people. We empower people to realize their rights and assist governments in meeting their responsibilities to protect and respect these rights. Human rights are key to developing sustainable societies because only when people are protected by state law and free to exercise their rights can destructive cycles of poverty, discrimination and indignity come to an end.

Established in 1993 through General Assembly resolution 48/141, OHCHR provides a forum for identifying, highlighting and developing responses to today’s human rights challenges, and acts as the principal focal point of human rights research, education, public information and advocacy within the United Nations.

Our 1,100 staff are equally divided between our Geneva headquarters, New York and Brussels offices and field presences in almost 60 countries. Approximately one-third of our budget is covered by the UN member states (e.g. the UN regular budget) so we rely heavily on voluntary contributions from governments, foundations, companies and private individuals for the remaining two-thirds.

By making a voluntary contribution to the OHCHR, you participate in helping the many people whose basic rights are systematically violated by a variety of actors on a daily basis. Your donation can support advocacy and technical assistance to States, capacity-building and training for human rights defenders and civil society, reporting and monitoring on violations, preventive actions and direct assistance to victims of human rights violations to mention just a few areas.

A South Sudanese woman casting her ballot in South Sudan's referendum on independence. Credit: UN Photo/Paul Banks